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RecruitingNCT07822633MLAS5Updated Sep 16, 2026

Inter-Limb Transfer in Acute Stroke

An interventional study of REAplan® and Dextrain Manipulandum® in Stroke, Acute, Stroke (Subacute) and Healthy Individuals (Controls), sponsored by University Hospital of Mont-Godinne. Recruiting at 2 sites in Belgium. Open to participants aged 40 Years to 90 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-09-16.

Sponsored by University Hospital of Mont-Godinne · Not applicable, Interventional, and Basic science

From the registry’s dates

  • Started Aug 2026; still recruiting 3 months later.
Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
250
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
40 Years to 90 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

This study aims to investigate whether the improvements achieved through motor skill learning (MSkL) with the ipsilesional upper limb (UL) are transferred to the contralesional UL during the (sub)acute stroke phase, and to identify the neural substrates underlying this inter-limb transfer. To achieve this, healthy individuals, acute and chronic stroke patients will perform proximal and distal MSkL tasks using serious games implemented on robotic devices. This will be complemented by behavioural assessments and multimodal MRI.

Read the detailed description

Over 3 consecutive days, healthy individuals, acute and chronic stroke patients will be evaluated and will train on the rehabilitation robot REAplan® (http://www.axinesis.com/) to assess proximal MSkL and on the manual dexterity tool Dextrain Manipulandum (https://www.dextrain.com/) to assess distal MSkL.

Healthy individuals, acute and chronic stroke patients will be randomised equally to 2 different groups. One group of participants will train over the 3 days on the serious game Circuit on the REAplan® and the game Targeting on the Dextrain Manipulandum. The other one will only be assessed on day 1 and day 3 on the serious games and will not have any training.

For proximal upper limb with the serious game Circuit, the participants will have to practice a complex circuit and move a cursor as quickly and accurately as possible by controlling the handle of the robot. A Reaching task and a Drawing task will be used to assess motor control.

For distal upper limb with the serious game Targeting, the participants will have to reach a series of targets with a cursor as quickly and accurately as possible by controlling their finger movements.

To explore the role of different brain structures in inter-limb transfer, Voxel-based Lesion Symptom Mapping (VLSM) based on high-resolution brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, will be used to analyse the relationship between tissue damage and inter-limb transfer scores on a voxel-by-voxel basis.

Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) will quantify the integrity of several white matter tracts, allowing through correlation analyses to unveil the white matter tracts crucial to achieve this transfer.

Moreover, several "classical" clinical scales and tests will be used to evaluate overall motor-sensory-cognitive functions.

02

Conditions studied

  • Stroke, Acute
  • Stroke (Subacute)
  • Healthy Individuals (Controls)
  • Chronic Stroke Patients

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Keywords

  • Motor Skill Learning
  • Upper limb
  • Acute stroke
  • Rehabilitation
  • Inter-limb transfer
  • Subacute stroke
  • Chronic stroke
  • Robotics
03

In context

Stroke

8,255 studies on the registry are indexed under Stroke; 2,056 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 250 is above the median of 49 across 6,024 interventional studies indexed under Stroke.

Browse Stroke studies →

Lead sponsor

University Hospital of Mont-Godinne is the lead sponsor of 24 studies on the registry; 6 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
40 Years to 90 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes

Eligibility criteria

ACUTE STROKE PATIENTS:

Inclusion Criteria:

  • First acute ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke
  • Between the 2nd and 21st day post-stroke
  • Age: 40-90 years
  • Ability to complete the 3 consecutive sessions

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Stroke with multiple brain lesions
  • Addiction (e.g., alcohol or drugs)
  • Pregnancy
  • Major cognitive impairment (e.g., depression, aphasia, dementia)
  • Inability to perform or understand the required tasks
  • Uncontrolled health conditions
  • " classical " contre-indication to MRI (non-MR-compatible pacemaker, pregnancy, non-MR-compatible implanted devices, claustrophobia, etc ...)

HEALTHY INDIVIDUALS:

Inclusion Criteria:

  • 40-90 years
  • availability to complete three consecutive sessions.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • "classical" contre-indication to MRI (non-MR-compatible pacemaker, pregnancy, non-MR-compatible implanted devices, claustrophobia, etc ...)
  • medical history with a previous stroke/relevant neurological deficit or disease
  • drug/alcohol abuse
  • psychiatric condition/dementia
  • having already used the robotic devices

CHRONIC STROKE PATIENTS:

Inclusion Criteria:

  • single stroke confirmed by brain imaging
  • time since stroke onset >6 months
  • age between 40-90 years
  • availability to complete three consecutive sessions.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Stroke with multiple brain lesions
  • Addiction (e.g., alcohol or drugs)
  • Pregnancy
  • Major cognitive impairment (e.g., depression, aphasia, dementia)
  • Inability to perform or understand the required tasks
  • Uncontrolled health conditions
  • having already used the robotic devices
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Basic science
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Single (Participant)
Enrollment
250 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Ipsilesional Group

    Participants will have trainings on the REAplan® robot using their ipsilesional arm with a serious game based on proximal motor skill learning and on the Dextrain Manipulandum device using their ipsilesional hand with a serious game based on distal MSkL. Participants will have assessment with each of their arms on the REAplan® robot with a serious game based on proximal motor skill learning and on the Dextrain Manipulandum device with each of their hands with a serious game based on distal MSkL

    Device: REAplan® · Device: Dextrain Manipulandum®

  • Experimental
    Control Group

    Participants will only have assessment with each of their arms but not trainings on the REAplan® robot with a serious game based on proximal motor skill learning and on the Dextrain Manipulandum device with each of their hands with a serious game based on distal MSkL

    Device: REAplan® · Device: Dextrain Manipulandum®

Interventions

  • DeviceREAplan®

    motor skill learning with the REAplan® rehabilitation robot, to be performed with ipsilesional arm

  • DeviceDextrain Manipulandum®

    motor skill learning with the Dextrain Manipulandum® dexterity tool to be performed with ipsilesional hand

  • DeviceREAplan®

    proximal motor control and motor skill assessement with the REAplan® rehabilitation robot, to be performed by each arm

  • DeviceDextrain Manipulandum®

    distal motor skill assessment with the Dextrain Manipulandum® dexterity tool to be performed by each hand

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Speed/Accuracy Trade-off (SAT) measured by the REAplan® robot

    Speed/Accuracy Trade-off: mathematical computation of the relationship between speed and accuracy

    Time frame: change between baseline (Day 1) and after training (Day 3)

  2. force measured by the REAplan® robot

    forces exerted in the wrong direction by each arm (Newtons)

    Time frame: change between baseline (Day 1) and after training (Day 3)

  3. Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) measured by the Dextrain Manipulandum

    error between the coordinates of the target and the cursor

    Time frame: change between baseline (Day 1) and after training (Day 3)

  4. Speed/Accuracy Trade-off (SAT) measured by the Dextrain Manipulandum

    Speed/Accuracy Trade-off: mathematical computation of the relationship between speed and accuracy

    Time frame: change between baseline (Day 1) and after training (Day 3)

Secondary outcomes

  1. Hold time measured by the Dextrain Manipulandum

    The amount of time the cursor remains inside the target zone

    Time frame: change between baseline (Day 1) and after training (Day 3)

  2. Coactivation measured by the Dextrain Manipulandum

    binary measure of unasked fingers activated above the force threshold

    Time frame: change between baseline (Day 1) and after training (Day 3)

  3. Voxel-based Lesion Symptom Mapping (VLSM)

    Diffusion Weighted Imaging (DWI)

    Time frame: Baseline

  4. Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI)

    Fractional Anisotropy

    Time frame: Baseline

  5. Fugl Meyer Upper Extremity Test (FMA-UE)

    Tests impairments of the upper limb after stroke. Range: 0-66. A higher score means less impairment.

    Time frame: Day1

  6. Oxford Cognitive Screen (OCS)

    to identify cognitive impairments following stroke. Rather than providing only a single overall cognitive score, the OCS assesses several distinct cognitive domains (Language, Praxis, Number, Memory, Spatial and Controlled Attention) and produces a cognitive profile showing both preserved and impaired abilities.

    Time frame: Day2

  7. Action Research Arm Test (ARAT)

    evaluate upper-limb motor function and activity performance. Range: 0-57. higher scores indicating better upper-limb motor function

    Time frame: Day2

  8. Fatigue Visual Analog Scale (VAS)

    Visual Analog Scale to evaluate fatigue = a psychometric response scale which can be used in questionnaires. It is a measurement instrument for subjective characteristics or attitudes that cannot be directly measured. When responding to a VAS item, respondents specify their level of agreement to a statement by indicating a position along a continuous line between two end-points. Range : 0- 10. A higher score means a higher level of fatigue.

    Time frame: Day 1

  9. Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI)

    To assess participants' level of motivation and engagement in completing the proposed tasks. They will be asked to respond to a series of items concerning their interest in the activities, perceived competence, perceived effort, and the value they attribute to the task.

    Time frame: Day3

  10. Box and Block Test

    To assess gross manual dexterity and unilateral upper-limb function.The participant is asked to move as many small wooden blocks as possible from one compartment of a box to another within 60 seconds. The task is performed separately with each hand. Score range: 0-150 for each hand. The score corresponds to the number of blocks successfully transferred in one minute. A higher score indicates better gross manual dexterity and upper-limb function.

    Time frame: change between baseline (Day 1) and after training (Day 3)

  11. Speed, Accuracy and Speed/Accuracy Trade-off (SAT) measured by the REAplan® robot on a Reaching task and on a Drawing task

    A simple Reaching task and a Drawing task (mandala) to assess motor control on the REAplan(R) robot

    Time frame: change between baseline (Day 1) and after training (Day 3)

07

Study locations

2 of 2 sites recruiting
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: Yes — Data Management Plan REDCap

Supporting information: Study protocol, Statistical analysis plan, Informed consent form, Clinical study report, Analytic code

Time frame: The data will become available during the beginning of the study and for 10 years.

Access criteria: Login user of the Hospital of CHU UCL Namur -Site Godinne, Login user of the Hospital of Cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Sep 16, 2026, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT07822633
Lead sponsor
University Hospital of Mont-Godinne
Responsible party
Pr Yves Vandermeeren, MD, PhD (MD, PhD, Neurologist, Principal Investigator, Clinical Professor, University Hospital of Mont-Godinne) — Principal investigator
First posted
Sep 16, 2026
Start date
Aug 11, 2026
Primary completion
Sep 2031 (estimated)
Completion
Jan 2032 (estimated)
Last update
Sep 16, 2026

Study contacts

Yves Vandermeeren, MD, PhD
Contact
yves.vandermeeren@uclouvain.be
+32 81 42 33 21
Wumeng Wang, MSc
Contact
wumeng.wang@uclouvain.be
Yves Vandermeeren, MD,PhD
principal investigator · UCLouvain IONS

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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